Q + A Oat Milk Versus Nivea Caring Cleansing Wipes
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Meal
Abrasive
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Meal, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pantolactone
Humectant
Linalyl Acetate
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
Acetyl Cedrene
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Terpineol
Masking
Rosa Odorata Extract
AstringentGeranyl Acetate
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Isopropyl Stearate, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Ether, Panthenol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Tocopherol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Pantolactone, Linalyl Acetate, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Acetyl Cedrene, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Terpineol, Rosa Odorata Extract, Geranyl Acetate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
This ingredient is also known as sweet almond oil. It is a lightweight, cold-pressed oil from the ripe seeds of the sweet almond tree.
Sweet almond oil is rich in skin-nourishing fatty acids such as oleic acid (55-86%) and linolenic acid (7-35%).
As an emollient, it softens and hydrates skin by forming a thin barrier that locks in moisture.
Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the available safety data and concluded it is safe for topical use.
Because of the oleic acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
